Broken Hearts
by Sora Himura
Summary: Ray... he's got a broken heart. By someone who didn't mean to, but was forced to do it. Now Kai wants to help. But what will happen when Ray has to face a Ghost from the Past? Chapter 4 up! RayMariah
1. Hurt

This is my first beyblade fic, and I haven't seen that many episodes, so please don't flame me if it sucks. Although I'm a "Kenshin #1 fan", I have an even bigger obsession with Ray. Ray in my wallet, Ray on my wall, Ray on my computer, Ray on my fic!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, and I especially don't own Ray (oh man!) or Kai (bummer...) All I own are 5 beyblades and a Mariah figure, soon to own a Ray figure.  
  
Broken Hearts  
  
Chapter 1: Hurt  
  
Ray sat darkly in a corner hugging his knees close, his raven-black hair obscuring his eyes. He wouldn't look up for anything, and he didn't seem like he would listen to anyone either.  
  
"Dude, what do you think's wrong with Ray?" Max asked the rest of the Bladebreakers, who sat concerned in the living room of their hotel room. He only received clueless expressions from his teammates.  
  
"I don't know. He's been like that ever since... I dunno...yesterday?" Tyson commented, and it was true. Ever since Ray had gone out somewhere yesterday, when he came back he was like that; sad, dark and ignoring everyone.  
  
"Do you think we should ask him?" Kenny asked, but the others didn't know what to answer.  
  
"I'll talk to him." Kai offered, and the others nodded. Although Kai didn't seem too friendly with people, he had come to be like a brother to Ray, and Ray was about the only person to who he would say more than four words.  
  
"We'll leave the room, if it helps." Max said, as he pulled Tyson and Kenny out the room, leaving Kai and Ray alone. Kai went over to Ray and sat next to him.  
  
"Hey. What's wrong, buddy?" Kai asked, but Ray only turned to face away from him. "Come on. You know whatever it is, you can tell me." He said, putting his hand on Ray's shoulder.  
  
Slowly, Ray turned to face him. Kai was shocked at what he saw. There were gleaming tears in Ray's eyes. He didn't remember ever seeing tears in Ray's eyes.  
  
"Whoa, Ray, what happened?" he asked, but Ray hugged his knees closer to him, and his hair obscured his eyes once more.  
  
"Why would you care?" he said bitterly. He sounded weak and feeble compared to when he was in a battle.  
  
"Because I am your teammate and friend, and everybody else is really worried about you too." Kai said calmly.  
  
"So?" Ray replied in his sour tone, and Kai sighed.  
  
"We care about you." He said, and suddenly, Ray quickly turned to face him.  
  
"Yeah? Well she sure as hell doesn't!" he yelled, his tears spilling from his eyes. Kai evaluated the situation. Well, he hadn't gotten very far, but on the bright side, he had found out something. Ray went back to his original position.  
  
"Ray." Kai said firmly, but Ray ignored him. He was once more thinking about it, and how it all happened...  
  
Flashback  
  
"Mariah, I-I've been trying to tell you this for a very long time, but I couldn't. I.. Mariah, I...I love you." Ray had said softly, looking down. Unexpectedly, a hard slap hit him square on the cheek. He looked bewildered at Mariah, while putting his hand to his now swollen cheek.  
  
"How DARE you!" Mariah yelled, tears forming in her eyes. It was like Ray had lost his tongue, he couldn't mutter a word. Mariah was looking at him angrily, the tears that had formed now spilling down her soft cheeks. "How dare you say you love me after everything that's happened? You abandoned us, Ray! You left us, and you sure as hell found quick replacement for us!" she said angrily.  
  
"Mariah... I..." he started, but she didn't let him finish  
  
"You left the team, you left us, you left ME, you traitor! How could I EVER love someone like you?" she screamed, then turning around with her arms crossed over her chest. Those last words, they wounded him deeply, they broke his heart. Not only had he been rejected, but she had also stepped all over his heart, and it was like Mariah had sent her Galux to rip his poor heart apart.  
  
"I...I understand." He said weakly. Not able to stand it, he walked away, his eyes obscured by his hair. And even in that darkness, you could see shiny glimmering drops appearing in the corner of his eyes.  
  
End of Flashback  
  
"Ray, I need you to tell me what's wrong with you!" Kai said, getting desperate.  
  
"It wouldn't change a thing if I told you or not." Ray answered back, looking at him once more.  
  
"Would you tell me if I said 'please'?" Kai asked, his tone of voice sounding genuinely concerned for his friend.  
  
"Tell me, how would YOU be if the girl that you love, after you tell her your true feelings, slaps you, calls you a traitor and screams at you that she could never love someone like you?" Ray said softly, and Kai's eyes went wide.  
  
"Damn, Ray. You don't mean to tell me SHE did THAT to YOU!" Kai exclaimed, unable to believe, to process those last words Ray said. Mariah? Doing THAT to Ray?  
  
"Hell yeah, she did. Now leave me alone." Ray said as he got up and disappeared into his room, leaving Kai behind, still dumbfounded.  
  
**************************  
  
Ayy! I know it was short and it sucked! Oh well, please review and let me know if I should continue! This is kinda hard for me, having seen about two or three episodes only, although I've surfed trough many an episode guide. Well, since it's my first BB try, when you review (IF you review. Please do.) please be gentle. ^_^x 


	2. Thinking, just thinking

Thanx so much for the reviews! Didn't expect more than one review on my very first chapter! But they were wonderful! Thanx for the support, guys!  
As thanx, here's Chapter 2!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Beyblade, do you really think I would be writing this? I only own five Beyblades, a Mariah BK figure, a Tyson BK figure, and YAY! My very own neko-jin BK figure! It's SOOO kawaii!!! I love it!  
  
Chapter 2: Thinking, just thinking  
  
Kai opened the door for the rest of the Bladebreakers after Ray had shut himself in his room. He was met by a trio of very curious faces.  
  
"Well?" Tyson asked, wanting to know what was wrong with Ray.  
  
"Did you manage to get anything out of him?" added Max, and they received a nod from Kai, who had a seriously upset face.  
  
(Who knew Kai could be so emotional? I like it when Kai looks out for Ray, but I don't like yaoi, so don't expect any coming from me. Boys will only care for each other as FRIENDS. Same with girls. No yaoi, no yuri.)  
  
Kai moved his head pointing to the living room, which was a medium-sized room with a coffee table in the middle, on top of a carpet. Around it was a sofa in the shape of an L and two comfy chairs. The boys all moved to the living room, each taking a seat. Max and Tyson sat on the L-shaped sofa, Kai took one of the chairs (we all know he'd prefer to sit alone) and Kenny took the remaining chair.  
  
"Well, Kai, are you going to tell us what is wrong with Ray or not?" said Dizzi, after Kenny had set his laptop on the table. Kai closed his eyes, meditating, thinking if Ray would want him to tell the rest of the team or not. He opted to tell them, since they were his friends and all, and maybe they could help.  
  
"We're dealing with a broken heart here. A painful broken heart." He said simply, his eyes still closed. The entire room let out a collective "Oh."  
  
"Oooh...ouch." Max and Tyson said at the same time.  
  
"Poor poor kitty-cat." Dizzi commented, and Kenny shut down the laptop. He decided it was time for Dizzi to take a "nap".  
  
"Girl problems... I hate those..." Tyson said as he rested himself against the cushions. Then a loud "grmpmwfhuhghnd" was heard. The whole team turned sweatdropping to a blushing Tyson, who was clutching his stomach. "What? I'm hungry!" he countered.  
  
"Tyson, how can you even THINK of food when our friend is somewhere with his heart crushed?" Kenny scolded Tyson.  
  
"I can't help it! It's been half an hour since lunch!" he complained, and a grumbling Kenny got up and disappeared into the kitchen, mumbling something about insensitive people and grumbling stomachs.  
  
Minutes later, the conversation continued, with Tyson now munching on yesterdays leftovers. It was sort of out of place, but at least his stomach was quiet.  
  
"So, Kai. Did he tell you who it was that did that to him?" Max inquired, looking hard at the silver-haired Russian in front of him. Kai shook his head. Ray hadn't really TOLD him, he had just drawn the conclusion that it was a certain pink-haired girl from the White Tigers.  
  
"Well, not really, but I DO have a good idea of who it might be." Kai said, and suddenly Tyson stopped munching on a huge drumstick.  
  
"Whoa! That's more than what you say in a week!" he exclaimed, but Kai wasn't in the mood for that.  
  
"Tyson, I suggest you shut your big mouth over that drumstick and keep quiet, unless you want to have a close encounter with my fist. Got that?" he snapped icily, and received a tiny "Yessir." from a tiny Tyson hiding under the sofa. Max and Kenny had to try hard not to laugh.  
  
"Well, anyway, leaving Tyson and his Tyson drumstick aside, who do you think it is, Kai?" Max asked.  
  
"I think... it's a pink-haired cat-eared blader from a rival team." He said.  
  
"NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
********************************************************  
  
Meanwhile, Ray was lying on his stomach on top of his bed, head resting on top of his crossed arms, gazing at his bedside table. On it he had a small heart-shaped picture frame. On that picture frame, well, you probably know who's picture was there. Next to it was a bigger picture frame with a picture of him and the White Tigers, back when he still belonged to the team. They were all hugging each other, with Mariah and Ray in the middle, Mariah hugging him really tight, and him winking and giving the peace sign. He sighed. He was still thinking about IT.  
  
"Face it, Ray. You're an idiot. How could you even THINK she had feelings for you? You abandoned her. You hurt her." He said to himself as he turned to lie on his back, now staring at the ceiling.  
  
"I was so happy back in those days... The White Tigers were like my family. And Mariah, well, she saw me as an older brother, and I was always there for her. Everything was just fine. But, what's wrong with wanting to see the world, making new friends, and becoming stronger?" he thought. "I mean, sure, when I left she might have felt a bit hurt and alone but..." he took a pause.  
  
"But still, she didn't have to be that way." He added, and closed his eyes. He needed a nap or something. Something to clear his head. There was an upcoming tournament, starting tomorrow, to be more exact. He should first concentrate on his battles. His friends needed him. He could solve his own problems later.  
  
Meanwhile, a silent icy Russian was going out the hotel doors and into the streets. He needed to know. So he was gonna pay a visit to a certain feline female.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
Oh crap! Sorry it was so short, but I'm close to my final days of school and don't have much writing time, so I just try to write as much as possible when I get the chance. Anyway, special thanx to my wonderful reviewers, who are the reasons why I just keep writing! Thanx, Sakin-chan! I was honored that you reviewed my fic Well, please R & R! It makes Sora- chan happy and eager to write more! ^_^x 


	3. Kitten Tears

Hello, I finally updated! I want to thank my few but wonderful reviewers for making me happy and proud of what I do! Thanx, guys! You're the best, especially Sakin-chan! Well, here's chapter 3. Chapter 4, I have it written already. So if you want me to update, tell me so with a review! Also, I finally got a Platinum Gamecube, with Beyblade V-force Super Tournament Battle! There's only one word which I can use to describe it: "SWEET!" And I have Beyblade Trading CARDS!!!! They're cool, ooooh yeah!  
  
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN IT!!!!  
  
Chapter 3: Kitten Tears  
  
Every boy in the White Tigers' hotel room was worriedly standing on the outside of their only female member's door. You couldn't hear anything, you could hear nothing. Nothing but the soft sobs and cries of the girl inside the room.  
  
She, Mariah, had locked herself up in her room since yesterday, without even coming out to eat. The first day she locked herself up, she was crying until she fell asleep. Today, she had been quiet, until what happened yesterday invaded her thoughts again. She couldn't help but cry even more.  
  
Kevin and Gary were oblivious as to the reason why Mariah was like that. But Lee, Lee felt just terrible. You could say it was HIS fault Mariah was like that.  
  
"Maybe I was too hard on her..." he thought out loud, without realizing it. Luckily, neither Kev nor Gary heard what he said.  
  
"Yo, Boss. What's wrong with Mariah?" Kevin asked Lee worriedly.  
  
"I...um...well, I have a feeling it as to do with that traitor." Lee lied, obviously referring to Ray. Gary cracked his knuckles.  
  
"Why that... How low can he go? If I find out he did anything to Mariah, anything at all..." he said between gritted teeth.  
  
"Well..." Lee said feeling bad. He was about to confess what had really happened, when they were startled by a knock on their room door. Kevin went to open it, and when he did, they were all very surprised. There, at their door, was Kai Hiwatari, the leader of the Bladebreakers.  
  
"Oh, um...hi." Kev stuttered, receiving a blank nod from Kai. He stepped to the side to let the silvery-haired Russian in. Lee immediately stepped forward.  
  
"Sorry, but I'm afraid it's not the best moment to have a talk between leaders." He said, assuming that was what the Bladebreakers' captain wanted. (Which I don't know why it even crossed his mind. After all, Kai is so "sociable". x)  
  
"That's okay. I didn't come here to talk to you." Kai replied in an icy- cool tone, startling the male White Tigers. He passed by Gary and Lee. "I want to have a word with Mariah."  
  
"Mariah? What for?" Gary wondered out loud.  
  
"None of your business." Kai snapped coldly. Typical him.  
  
"Hey, no one said you could talk to her." Lee snapped back.  
  
"No one said I couldn't, either." Kai glared at Lee, then he grabbed the lion boy by the shirt. "Listen, I don't have time for your idiocies. Where's Mariah?" he narrowed his eyes at Lee.  
  
"Fine, fine. If it's so important... She's there." He answered, pointing to the door to Kai's left. "But, let me warn you, she hasn't come out since yesterday, and she's been crying a lot, too.  
  
"Is that so?" Kai said blankly. "CRYING?!" he exclaimed inwardly. Mariah had been crying? Well, he had to talk to her. He knocked on her door.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Mariah, you're so stupid." The neko girl insulted herself, as she kept on sobbing sitting on an armchair next to her window. From there she could see the spot where she had done that AWFUL thing. How COULD she?  
  
"How could I have broken his heart like this?" she cried, when she heard a knock on her door.  
  
"Who...who is it?" she asked. When Kai answered, she quickly tried to wipe the tears away, as to not let a rival blader see her crying.  
  
"Come in." she said, and Kai did. Watching Kai go into Mariah's room, the White Tigers wondered why she let HIM into her room, but not them.  
  
"What do you want?" Mariah asked, from her armchair, where she had her face hidden in her hands. Kai, who was now standing directly in front of her, took a deep breath.  
  
"I want to talk to you..." he said, and Mariah lifted her gaze, not expecting what came next. "... about Ray."  
  
Suddenly, she threw herself over him, sobbing hysterically, Kai extremely surprised.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Kai exclaimed, but Mariah didn't move. Kai made her look at him.  
  
"What...?" he questioned.  
  
"I'm sorry, it's because I was so stupid..." she sobbed, now on her bed. Kai now moved to a position of leaning on the wall.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt your crying, but I need to know. Why did you do that to Ray?" he now leaned with his eyes closed, waiting for an answer. He had to wait a while for Mariah to calm down.  
  
"I'm sorry. I never meant for that to happen." She said softly. "I am completely heartless, cruel. How could I have done that to HIM of all people, especially when I had been waiting my whole life for him to say that to me?" she cried, and Kai's eyes went wide.  
  
"W...wait a minute. Y...you really...love him, don't you?" he said, looking down at Mariah, who looked up to him.  
  
"What do you think?" she answered. There was a silence, which was suddenly broken by some yells outside. It sounded like Lee yelling at someone, and then they heard coughing.  
  
"What's going on out there?" Kai stormed out the door, followed closely by Mariah. She gasped. The rest of the room was filled with a thick gas. The other three boys were down, under the effects of the gas.  
  
"Lee, Kev, Gary!" Mariah cried out, wanting to run to them, but Kai didn't let her move from his side.  
  
"What the hell?! Sleeping gas." Kai said, when he covered Mariah's face with a cloth so she wouldn't breath in the gas, afterwards covering his own face. Mariah got close to him, trembling.  
  
"W...what's going on, Kai?" she asked, when all of a sudden, someone grabbed her form behind, covering her mouth.  
  
"Mariah!" Kai yelled as he ran into her room, where he had seen a shadowy figure take Mariah. Once there, he saw that there was no one there, and the window was open. He quickly jumped to the windowsill. He looked to all sides. He could see nothing.  
  
"Damn it! You gotta be kidding me!" he cursed. It couldn't be. He jumped out the window, landing on his feet. He felt something moving towards him, and he moved just in time. In the wall behind where he had been standing was a kunai stuck, holding a paper. Kai took it and read the note, his eyes going wide. Then he started running to the hotel where the Bladebreakers were staying. He had to get there as quickly as possible. This was bad, very bad.  
  
Ahhh! Bad moment to finish the chapter! Well, it adds a little suspense, doesn't it? Just who took Mariah? For what reasons? These and more questions answered in the next chapter of Broken Hearts. Review, please, and I promise to update as quickly as possible. x Also, please read my BB one-shot! It's called "Losing You". Please R and R, like you always do!  
  
P.S. I was wondering, do any of you wonder during what season this fic takes place? I guess the timeline would be best around the first season of beyblade, but I place it in V-force for two reasons: the look I want for the characters is the V-force look, since it's "sweeter." (Although Ray looks good in all three attires: Beyblade, V-force, and G Revolutions! drool x) And the other reason is that Hilary is here too, so it has to be from V-force on. Hope nobody's lost! 


	4. Ghost from the Past

sigh Finally, after a MONTH without Internet access, I'm back, with a vengeance! Now MY laptop has a new modem, so I don't have to depend on my dad's to write or update. Now... if could just get him to gimme a break from my chores to actually sit down and write... .x Well, thanks to my reviewers for chapter three, I know it was hard to notice since the author alerts don't work if you replace a chapter (important notice) with new text... Well, anyway, here's chapter four...  
  
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Beyblade, and I sure as hell don't own Ray... sigh I wish I did...  
  
Chapter 4: Ghost from the Past  
  
Chief, the Bladebreakers and Hilary were all gathered in the living room. When Hilary had asked Max why Ray was acting strange, she was brought up-to- date with the neko-jin events. Ray was there too, although he was like how Kai usually was: sitting on his own, with his arms crossed over his chest, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. And Kai, well, he hadn't gotten back yet.  
  
"Well, guys, the BBA just announced that we have a rush match to decide the winner of the tournament preliminaries, since too many teams signed up for this tournament. They just told us which team we'll be facing." Kenny said, and Tyson quickly got up. "The battle is in 30 minutes."  
  
"What? They can't do that! We're supposed to know when we're gonna have a battle with at least one hour of anticipation!" Max complained, receiving backup from Tyson.  
  
"Ray, don't you have anything to say?" Kenny asked the neko-jin, and only received a negative shake of the head. Everybody sighed. Ray usually had a commentary about this kind of situation. He would likely give support when they needed it the most. But now he was acting like...like...oh, heck, like Kai! Tyson didn't take too kindly to this, and just couldn't hold himself any longer.  
  
"That's it! I can't take it! Listen, Ray. Just because some girl broke your heart doesn't mean it's the end of the world!" Tyson yelled at Ray at the top of his lungs. Ray just looked at him from the corner of the eye, his amber tiger eyes gleaming.  
  
"Tyson, stop it!" Hilary reprimanded, trying to restrain Tyson, but Max held her back. He knew this could turn into an ugly argument, one he knew Hilary shouldn't be a part of.  
  
"Tyson, leave me alone." Ray sighed, but the Dragoon master just confronted him even more.  
  
Tyson continued on with his big mouth. "I won't shut up! Whatever happened to the great White Tiger? All I see is a scared little kitten." He spat. What was everyone's surprise when Ray grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up so they were at the same level, Tyson forced to look into Ray's amber glare!  
  
"What the hell do YOU know, you brat?" he growled at Tyson, his amber eyes turning into slits. "What I do, or how I act, is none of your damn business." He hissed, and Tyson gulped. "Do you have ANY idea how I feel?" he said, looking to the side, his eyes getting watery. He then let go of Tyson and stormed out of the room, leaving Tyson feeling really bad about what he had said and done.  
  
"I can't believe this... Tyson, how could you?" Hilary slapped Tyson, who put his hand to his stricken cheek, with an ashamed expression on his face as he looked down. "You really don't have any idea what he's going through, do you?"  
  
"Dude, you really should've kept your mouth shut." Max sighed, stretching. If only Tyson would just learn when to shut up...  
  
"I guess Ray won't be fighting." Kenny said, and then turned to Max. "We're in a tight spot. We're facing the Saint Shields. Kai went out too, so if he doesn't come back soon, it'll be just you and Max against all four of them."  
  
"Ozuma... Drat, we're in trouble. And without Kai or Ray, we're even more screwed." Tyson whined, holding his head in his hands as if he had a headache.  
  
"And it's all YOUR fault Ray's gone, you idiot!" Hilary screamed at Tyson, who winced at the sound of her voice.  
  
"Whatever. Me and Tyson can take it. Let's just get there before we get disqualified for being late." Max said, and the remaining Bladebreakers gave him nods of approval. They quickly grabbed their stuff, and after sticking a note for Ray and Kai on the door, they left for the BBA stadium.  
  
Our neko-jin was angrily walking down the sidewalk. He had done a lot to repress himself from breaking Tyson's face. Why was he so hot-headed, insensitive, childish... jeez. The list never seemed to end. (A/n: Don't get me wrong. I really don't have anything against Tyson, but Ray does right now. .x)  
  
"He wouldn't know how I felt..." Ray countered himself. "He's too young to have experienced feelings like these... What would HE know...?" he sighed.  
  
As he continued to wander without a specific destination, something caught his attention. He saw a figure running towards him. As the figure came into view, he saw it was Kai.  
  
"Ray!" he was calling out to the neko-jin. He sounded out of breath. Finally he caught up to Ray.  
  
"Oh, hey, Kai. What's the hurry?"  
  
"Ray, something happened that I think you should know about. Here." He said handing Ray the note he had eased off the wall earlier. Ray took it reluctantly. The expression on Kai's face assured it was nothing good. He looked down and read. As he did, his eyes went wide. After he finished reading, he held the note in his clenched fist, his whole body shaking with anger.  
  
"No... it can't be... not him... that... that... bastard!" Ray growled, his amber eyes flashing dangerously, which even made Kai step back. (A/n: Ooh... that doesn't happen every day... x) "When I get my hands on him... I'll kill him!"  
  
The next thing Kai knew, Ray wasn't standing there anymore. He was about 30 feet away, running with a speed that matched Driger. Kai followed.  
  
"Hey, Ray, wait up!" he said as the note that Ray had dropped was blown away by the wind. It read:  
  
To Ray:  
  
Hey, you bloody neko-jin. Time has come for me to take revenge on you after you humiliated me so long ago. And to make sure you'll face me and not run like a coward, I got some "insurance". That's right, Ray. I have Mariah right here with me. You better come for her before 6 o' clock, or who knows what might happen to that lovely little face of hers. I'll be waiting for you at the abandoned harbor.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------- Zhang Yuen  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Well, here was the promised update. Before you ask, Ozuma and the Saint Shields aren't trying to seal the Bladebreaker's bit beasts, not in my fic. And Zhang Yuen is a made up character. You can probably tell he is Chinese by the name, and you might assume he used to live in Ray's village... Ok. Me no telling no more! .x Well, anyway, review so I can get the next chapter underway. And, before you review, I have to ask you readers something. I got a very nice idea from one of my wonderful reviewers, that I DID consider, but decided it wouldn't fit my storyline. Well, I was wondering, if you guys might like me to, after I finish with this fic, to sort of write it and publish it again, but with a different plot, using the reviewers idea, under the name of "Broken Heart, Healing Heart". What do YOU think? Please review and tell me! 


	5. Zhang Yuen

Oh, I'm so sorry for not being able to update!!! You see, I just had sooooo many responsibilities during the summer it's just wasn't fun! To top it off, I have a MAJOR writer's block... Nothing interesting or anything to inspire me... Well, not for my current stories, anyway. (pouts) Then I started school... total nightmare... It's been a month, and I can't wait for it to be December... Well, I finally found a time to sit down and write something for you guys. I'm sorry to say it won't be long, but I hope I'll be able to add more soon! Now, on with the next chapter!

Note: If you need a refresher of what's happening, feel free to re-read the last chapter.

Disclaimer: No, don't own Beyblade... Just a Driger F, a Driger V, a Driger G, a Driger MS, a Metal Driger, (- Driger Collector!!!) a Metal Dranzer, a Dranzer V2, a Draciel V and a Wolborg 2 bey, three BK BB figures, lotsa trading cards, DVDs, VHS and the video games... The characters or plot or stuff are not in my "I own..." list... (facefaults) Damn...

Chapter 5: Zhang Yuen

Mariah softly fluttered her eyes open, her neko-jin orbs adapting to the darkness around her. She tried to get up, only to be unsuccessful. She looked down to see her ankles and wrists bound by rope. Scared, and freaked out, she turned to look around, looking for any clues that would help her identify her whereabouts.

"Wh...where am I?" she wondered out loud, her voice echoing inside the large warehouse-like room. She was sitting in a corner of the room floor, while every other corner of the room was empty, except for several crates and what seemed like a beyblade dish.

"Huh... how did I get here?" She began to remember what had happened... Kai had come to talk to her... then the weird gas in the room... someone grabbed her from behind and knocked her out... That was all she recalled.

Suddenly, she heard the room's only door creak open, and she found herself squinting as the person turned on the light. She heard heavy steps directing themselves toward her, until they stopped just a few feet away from where she was. She looked up to see who it was, and when she recognized the person, she gasped and her eyes quivered.

"Zhang Yuen..." she breathed, and the male figure before her smirked. He was very tall, probably about six feet two inches, and he was muscular. He had long dark-green hair tied back in a low ponytail and his wild bangs were tossed on his face, while his violet eyes shone with mischief. He looked at least twenty-two years old.

"So... you still remember me, Mao-chan (1), kitten." He replied as he moved a small crate towards them, using it as a chair. Mariah disdainfully looked away from him.

"DON'T call me that." She growled, bearing her fangs. Zhang Yuen, although he wasn't fully a neko-jin (2), showed his own fangs when he smiled at the pink-haired koneko (3) before him.

"Aww... you don't have to act so grown-up. Why, only seven years ago, you would WHINE if I didn't call you that." He leered at her, but she just puffed up her cheeks and turned the other way.

"Hmph."

"You always WERE too stubborn for your own good." Mariah turned to glare daggers at him.

"Argh! What do you want with me?"

"Nothing personal. I just need you... to get to that... that... kid." He growled bitterly, memories flooding back into his mind.

"What kid?" Mariah questioned further. If he was planning on keeping her here, he would HAVE to give her the answers she wanted.

"You know him." He suddenly smirked at Mariah, taking her by surprise. "Oh, you know him VERY well, Mao-chan. That boy you call... Ray."

Mariah's eyes widened in horror at the mention of the neko-jin's name. "R-Ray?"

.....................................................................................

"Ray, wait up!"

Kai was following a now feral Ray closely as he weaved his path through the abandoned warehouses at the harbor. The neko-jin's golden eyes were slit, showing just how ticked off he was.

"When I get my claws on him... I'll kill him!" he snarled, as Kai managed to catch up to him, just barely.

"Ray, do you have ANY idea which one of these warehouses is it?" the Russian blader questioned, seeing as his companion was blinded by anger.

"I sure as hell do." He replied as he suddenly stopped in front of a particularly run-down and rusty warehouse. Kai, seeing as Ray thought this was the one, tried to open the door.

"It won't budge!" he informed, only to be pushed roughly out from in front of the door.

"Out of the way, Kai." He growled, as he took out his launcher. "Driger, bust that door!" he hollered as Driger materialized from his blade as soon as it hit the ground.

In a split second, the once-door was now a mere pile of scrap metal. Ray huffed and pocketed his launcher before entering, leaving a dumb-founded Kai behind.

"Since... since when Ray's so reckless?"

.....................................................................................

Mariah and Zhang Yuen jumped at the horrifying sound of a crashing metal door.

"What was that?" she cried out, and a smirk once more found its way to Zhang Yuen's lips.

"It appears as if the tiger has arrived."

"Ray?"

They heard a commotion outside their door, as the men that accompanied Yuen fussed over the break-in.

.............................................................................................

"I told you, get out of my way!" Ray yelled, back-to-back with Kai, as twenty or so men surrounded them. Kai turned to Ray.

"Why do I get the idea that they're not gonna listen to you?" He said sarcastically. Ray's eyes slit again.

"We fight."

"WHAT?!" Kai asked incredulously. He couldn't believe that this was his sensible teammate who had just said that. The one who didn't like to fight, who always looked before he jumped. Ray wanted them to take on all these guys? From the looks of it, it wouldn't be a beyblade battle. Just raw fighting. He expected them to win? The odds were stacked two to twenty, not in their favor.

"I take the ten to the right, you take the ten to the left. Sound like a plan?" Ray asked, surprising Kai once more. Seeing Kai wouldn't answer, he inquired. "You DO know how to fight without a beyblade, right?"

"I was trained at the abbey, Ray. What the hell do you think?" Kai growled, bringing a smirk to Ray's lips.

"I'll take that as a yes!" he said as they both separated.

"Get them!" a man yelled, before Ray's fist connected solidly with his jaw.

"Just stay out of my way!" he yelled, before whispering. "I'm coming, Mariah. And Yuen, you'd BETTER have life insurance."

.....................................................................................

"Hmm... little tiger's causing quite the commotion out there..." Zhang Yuen cursed, while Mariah's eyes welled up with tears.

"He... he's coming for me... even after what I did to him?"

.....................................................................................

A man dove at Ray, who ducked and quickly snapped a kick that sent another opponent slamming against the wall. Thinking Ray was distracted, the first man, (who had jumped at him), prepared to land a punch. He jumped, he prepared his hit, and he would've hit... if it weren't for the fact that Ray's sensitive ears picked up the sound behind him, making him turn just in time to shoulder-throw his opponent.

"Done, Kai?" Ray called out to his team captain as he backhanded the last of his opponents, knocking him out. Kai had just landed an uppercut on his last adversary.

"Like dinner." He smirked, causing Ray to stifle a laugh. They were about to move on, when a couple more guys appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the two once more.

"What the...?"

"Jeez, Ray. Is that guy a member of the Chinese Mafia or something? Where does he get all these guys?"

(A/n: Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?)

This time, the guys took out black launchers, with matching beyblades.

"Ready, Kai?" Ray called as he took out his launcher and glared at his opponents with an expertise we only though Kai possessed. "Must be spending too much time with him..." Ray laughed inwardly.

"I was born ready, Ray."

"Let it RIP! Driger, Vulcan Power Claw!"

'Dranzer, let's go!"

...........................................................................................

"Damn it. He's not alone!" Yuen cursed very loudly, making Mariah jump.

"Ray isn't alone? Then who...?" she asked, more to herself than to someone else. That's when she heard another voice.

"Attack, Dranzer! Volcano Excellent Emission!"

"Kai!" she exclaimed surprised.

"What? Who's Kai?" Yuen growled at her, but she just turned her head disdainfully.

.....................................................................................

"ARGH!!!!!!!!!! I've had ENOUGH OF YOU!!! DRIGER, ULTIMATE ROYAL SLASH!!!!!!!!!!" Ray roared, and his beyblade started glowing gold. It looked as if it was charging power, when it suddenly disappeared in a flash of light.

"What the??? Where the hell did it go?" the apparent leader of the thugs cried out. Then, as quick as it had disappeared, Ray's Driger ripped through all the enemy beyblades, breaking them into pieces.

As the men cowered out of the warehouse as fast as they could, Ray turned to look at Kai, who was sort of... well... giving him his famous "Hiwatari Death-glare of Doom".

"What?!" Ray finally yelled annoyed. "What did I do? Why the heck are you glaring at me like that?"

"Why don't you fight like this at the tournaments? I mean, you fight well, better than the rest, but today... you just fought exceptionally good. That's all." Kai shrugged him off, before Ray sighed.

"I'm sorry... I'm just so... so... RAGING MAD!!!"

"Whoa. Calm down there, tiger. Let's go find Mariah." Kai said, but as soon as those words came out of his lips, Ray was already twenty feet ahead of them. "Hey, wait up!"

.................................................................................

"It seems as if Ray's skills have improved immensely since the last time I saw him fight..." Yuen pondered out loud. Mariah was quick to snap.

"Of course he's improved, you moron! He was eight years old at that time!" she smirked. But Yuen just growled.

"Don't remind me that!"

Mariah was about to reply, when the door to the room was suddenly brought down by a powerful force. Guess who...

Ray slowly walked into the room, his head hung low, his raven bangs covering his hair as he walked in. He looked extremely freaky. Mariah was frightened. She had never seen Ray look like that.

"So, we met at last, Rei Kon." (4) Came Yuen's voice, serious and dark, as he scowled at the figure in front of him.

"And this meeting..." Ray murmured in a voice that was almost too dark to be his own, as he flashed his slit golden eyes suddenly, making the others in the room jump. "...will be our last."

TO BE CONTINUED 

Well, I have nothing to say except... please review!!!! It'll help me get inspired faster.

Oh, and here are some terms I used in Japanese that some of you might need to know (if you don't know 'em already, that is).

(1) Mao-chan: for those of you who don't know, Mao is Mariah's original Chinese name from the series.

(2) neko-jin: humanoid cat; Ray, Mariah, and others from their village possess cat-like qualities like the fangs, the pointy ears, the cat-like eyes that slit when angry, the ability to jump REALLY high, among others. Broken down into two, neko means cat and the suffix –jin means it has to do with people (or something like that).

(3) koneko: kitten

(4) Rei: that's just Ray's name in Chinese (and Japanese, I think) I think it's only normal for Yuen to call him by his original Japanese name, so don't sue me. Besides, I like to write it once in a while. (grin)

Now press the nice button that says "Submit Review" and make Sora-chan happy!!! -.-


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